Mill.



PATENTED'DEG. 24, 1907. A. WEBER.

MILL. APPLICATION rnnb APB.16, 190s. RENEWED mm: a. 1907,

a sums-sum 1 ,THE uonms PETERS co., wnsnmcruu, 1:. cv

PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

A. WEBER.

MILL. I ArrL'mATIoN FILED APR. 16, 1906. RENEWED JUNE 8. 1907'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE "GER 1s PETERS ca, WASHINGTUN, u. c.

PATENTED DEG. 24, 1907.

A. WEBER.

MILL. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, 1908. RENEWED JUNE 8. 1907.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

h n MP .Jllllllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIIE ADOLFO WEBER, OF MILAN, ITALY.

MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

Application filed April 16, 1906, Serial No. 312.019. Renewed June 8.1907. Serial No. 378,003.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known .that I, ADoLFo WEBER, citizen of Switzerland, residing atMilan, Com

partment of Lombardy, Italy, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine designed most especially forpreparing grapes for the subsequent operation of expressing the juicetherefrom, the machine being of such formation as to break the skins,force the pulp therefrom and separate the stems from the mass of pulp,seeds and skins.

The invention consists of a machine of the character and for the purposeaforesaid involving a novel general construction and peculiar means,whereby the work of breaking up or comminuting the fruit or likematerial is greatly facilitated, and whereby provision is had forregulating the grinding mechanism to a nicety to permit the escape ofseeds without breaking the same, and to admit of the grinding mechanismautomatically yielding to allow stones or other foreign objects largerthan the fruit seeds escaping without producing injurious results.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a side view of a mill embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is atransverse section of the mill on the line 06-00 of Fig. 1, looking tothe left as indicated by the arrows. Fig. 3 is a vertical centrallongitudinal section of the mill on the line y-y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section of the grinding mechanism and the adjunctive parts,showing the element on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is an end view of themill, the upper portion being broken away. Fig. 6 is a view similar toFig. 3 showing a modification in the mountings and adjusting means forthe movable core or bur.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The working parts of the mill are mounted upon a framework of'suitableconstruction and in the preferred embodiment of the invention, theframework is attached to a trough or tank 1 and comprises legs 2,longitudinal bars 3 and cross bars 4, the several member 11.

Keepers 6 are provided at the sides of the trough or tank to receivehandle bars 7 which are secured therein when it is required to move themachine after the fashion of the ordinary hand or wheelbarrow.

The mill or machine embodies a hopper 8 which has a longitudinalarrangement and is provided in its bottom with an opening 9 for theescape of the grapes or other material to be prepared for subsequentpressing. Below the hopper 8 is located the grinding mechanism, the sameembodying a cylinder 10 having a grinding member 11 at one end and acone or bur 12 arranged for cooperation with the grinding member 11. Therotary grinding member 12 is carried by a hollow shaft 13 mounted toreceive a limited longitudinal movement and a rotary movement, the1ongitudinal movement providing for varying the space between thegrinding faces of the members 11 and 12 to admit of comminuting A thematerial to the desired degree of fineness and also to provide anautomatic escape for foreign objects, such as stones, nails and thelike, thereby obviating injury to the ribs of the 'nding elements. Thecylinder 10 is enlarged at its discharge end and a portion intermediateof its ends is flared and ribbed upon its inner side to provide thegrinding An outlet 14 is provided at the lowermost portion of theenlarged end of the cylinder for escape of the material after beingground or comminuted. An inlet 15 is located at the receiving end of thecylinder and is in communication with the outlet opening 9 of the hopper8, the openings 14 and 15 being arranged at diagonally opposite pointsof the cylinder. Ribs 16 are provided upon the inner side of thecylinder and extend longitudinally thereof, and, in cross section, saidribs are straight upon one face and are inclined upon the other face,see Fig. 2, thereby presenting the appearance ofsaw teeth. The ribs 16extend along the inner side of the flared portion of the cylinder for ashort distance and tapered so as to merge into the surface of saidflared part, thereby providing the ribs which cooperate withcorlr)esponding ribs upon the grinding cone or A spiral flight or rib 17encircles the shaft 13 and forms a screw feeder, whereby the material ispositively moved through the cylinder 10 and grinding mechanism, saidrib or flight 17, as well as the cone 12, forming an integral part ofthe shaft 13. The shaft 13 is mounted upon a hollow shaft 18 which ismounted in bearings 19 secured to the end supports of the framework,said shaft 18 receiving the driving power by means of which the screwfeeder and grinding mechanism are actuated and said shaft being heldagainst any longitudinal movement while free to rotate. The shaft 13 ismounted upon the shaft 18 so as to rotate therewith and yet have alimited longitudinal movement to admit of adjustment of the grindingmechanism and the automatic clearing of the matter when gravel or otherforeign object is caught between the grinding surfaces. Interlockingmeans connect the shafts 13 and 18 and as shown consist of a projection20 fast with the shaft 18 and a slot or groove 21 in the shaft 13 toreceive the projection 20. A sleeve 22 is loose upon the shaft 18 and isconnected therewith by means of a key 23 which passes through openingsformed in the sleeve 22 and shaft 18. The openings 24 formed in oppositesides of the shaft 18, are elongated lengthwise of said shaft to admitof the sleeve 22 having a limited longitudinal play thereon. A spring 25connects the sleeve 22 with the shaft 13 and determines the relativeposition of the latter according to the adjustment of the sleeve 22 uponthe shaft 18, said spring also providing yielding means whereby theshaft 13 may move independently of the sleeve 22 to admit of thegrinding cone or bur 12 automatically moving in the event of a gravel orother foreign object coming between the grinding surfaces so as toprevent injury thereto.

The position of the sleeve 22 may be determined with reference to theshaft 18 in any manner and said sleeve, when adjusted, is adapted to besecured so as to hold the shaft 13 and the movable member 12 of thegrinding mechanism in the required adjusted position. This result iseffected by the I means shown which consist of a rod 26 passed throughthe shaft 18 and having its inner end enlarged and transverselyapertured to receive the key 23, the outer end of said rod beingthreaded, as shown at 27, and cooperating with a hand nut 28 securedwithin the outer end of the shaft 18 so as to turn freely with referenceto said shaft, but prevented from having any longitudinal play withreference thereto. A jam nut 29 is mounted upon the projecting end ofthe rod 26 and serves to secure the parts in the adjusted position. Uponturning the hand nut 28 either to the right or to the left, the rod 26has a longitudinal movement imparted thereto by reason of the screwthread connection between said hand nut and rod 26, and as a result, thesleeve 22 is moved upon the shaft 18 and the shaft 13 is correspondinglymoving so as to vary the distance between the grinding surfaces of themembers 11 and 12.

Below the grinding mechanism is arranged a separator the same consistingof a trough 30 and a combined agitator and feeder 31. The trough 30 ispreferably semi-circular in transverse section and formed of perforatedsheet metal having its longitudinal edge portions secured to thelongitudinal bars of the framework. The trough extends the entire lengthof the machine and receives the material at one end and is open at itsopposite end to discharge the stems and like for eign matter. Thecombined feeder and agitator consists of a shaft 32 to which a series ofblades are attached, said blades being slightly inclined with referenceto the direction or rotation of the shaft 32 to positively move the massalong the trough from the receiving to the discharge end. The mass isthoroughly worked by the blades to cause the pulp, skins and seeds topass through the openings of the trough, whereas the stems and likematter finally escaped at the delivery end of the trough. The juice,pulp and the like passing through openings of the trough are received bythe tank or like receptacle 1.

Power is preferably applied to the shaft 18 and is taken therefrom foroperating the combined feeder and agitator 31 and for this purposeintermeshing gear wheels 33 and 34 are fast to the respective shafts 18and 32, the latter in turn being supplied with a balance wheel 35 tosteady the motion. For convenience of applying the power andparticularly when the machine is to be operated by hand, acounterbalance 36 is located at one side of the machine and is providedat opposite ends with crank handles 37, and thiscountershaft has a spurgear 38 fast thereto and in mesh with a spur pinion 39 fast to the shaft18. The fruit or the like to be prepared for subsequent compressingaction for removal of the juice is placed in quantity in the hop er 8and is directed thereby into the cy inder 10 through the openings 9 and15 and is fed to the grinding mechanism by the screw feeder 17 and afterbeing comminuted or ground escapes through the opening14 into theseparator, which latter, as stated, removes the woody matter and otherforeign substances from the pulp and skins, the latter passmg into thetrough or tank 1 to be subsequently manipulated as may be required. Thedistance between the grinding surfaces is regulated by means of the handnut 28 in the manner stated and should a gravel or other foreign objectcome between the grinding surfaces, the latter automatically yield byreason of the spring connection 25 to permit the escape of such gravelor foreign body, thereby preventing injury to the grinding mechanism, aswill be readily comprehended.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6, the hollow shaft 18 is dispensedwith and replaced by a shaft 18 which is preferably solid and upon whichthe part 13 and cone or bur 12 are mounted for longitudinal adjustment,being caused to revolve with the shaft by any securing means. A sleeve22 adjustable upon the shaft 18 is connected with the shaft 13 by meansof a spring 25 and by moving the sleeve 22 upon the shaft 18, thedistance between the grinding elements 11 and 12 is regulated. A sleeveis secured to the shaft 18 in any manner, preferably by means of a setscrew 41 and is provided with an off standing lug 42 apertured toreceive the threaded end of a rod 43 which is connected at its oppositeend to the sleeve 22*. J am nuts 44 are mounted upon the threaded end ofthe rod 43 to hold the said rod and the sleeve 22 in the requiredadjusted position. It will be understood that the provision of the parts40, 43 and 44 materially simplifies the construction and renders thesame readily accessible, and also enabling repairs to be cheaply made.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a mill, the combination of a grinding mechanism embodying astationary shell and a rotary bur, a rotary shaft having the bur mountedthereon and splined thereto, a sleeve mounted on said shaft to movelongitudinally thereon and to rotate therewith, a tension spring betweenthe sleeve and bur,

and means for adjusting the said sleeve to vary the tension of thespring.

2. In a mill, the combination of the grinding mechanism embodying astationary shell and a rotary bur, a hollow shaft having the bur mountedthereon and splined thereto, a sleeve mounted on said shaft to turntherewith and move longitudinally thereon, a tension spring interposedbetween said sleeve and the rotary bur, a rod located in said hollowshaft and having connection with the said sleeve, and means for movingsaid rod longitudinally and securing the same in the adjusted position.

3. In a mill, the combination of the grinding mechanism embodying astationary shell and a rotary bur, a hollow shaft having the rotary burmounted thereon and splined thereto, a sleeve mounted on the hollowshaft, to turn therewith and to move longitudinally thereon, a tensionspring between said sleeve and the rotary bur, a rod arranged within thehollow shaft, a key connecting the said sleeve and rod and passedthrough longitudinal slots in opposite sides of the hollow shaft tocause the rod, shaft and sleeve to rotate together while admitting ofrelative longitudinal movement of the rod and sleeve, a set nut threadedupon a projecting end of said rod, and a jam nut for securing the partin adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I afifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLFO WEBER.

